Stiles and the personal regression to the mean
by ambientbliss
Summary: Post Nogitsune, Stiles is anxious because the one girl who he loved is missing and it is taking all his will power to not lose hope.
1. Chapter 1

Stiles was pacing around his room. It had been two weeks since the Nogitsune took over his life and sent his world crashing down. Scott tried to keep him busy with Lacrosse practice, and then there was Lydia. He was pretty sure that she would never let him out of her sight. The worst part about that was if this would have been 4 months ago he wouldn't have minded but now he doesn't want her hovering, or even talking really.

Before the Nogitsune, Stiles had been seeing a girl. She wasn't just any girl though. She was Derek Hale's half sister - Eva. No one knew she was a Hale until she told them. Everyone had always known her as Eva Ward. Stiles bumped into her and started this spiral of emotion. No longer did he feel bound to be obsessed with Lydia, he was wrapped up in Eva. It was hard keeping their relationship from Derek. Stiles wasn't on Derek's #1 fan list, but when the news broke that they had been dating Derek took it surprisingly well. At least he didn't break any of Stiles' bones, he just gave him a black eye. Which Eva made up for. Everything was going great. Stiles felt like there was actually some girl in this world that felt about him the way he had felt about Lydia.

Deaton once told Scott something about regression to the mean. Everything was great, then Jennifer kidnapped the Sheriff, Melissa, and Chris. Anything that was good started crashing down from there. Stiles became possessed, Allison died, and the Nogitsune tore Eva away from Stiles. After destroying the Nogitsune and trapping the spirit Lydia became obsessed with Stiles, but to her surprise he was not showing the same response to her. It was like he was still living a nightmare.

Stiles had gotten a good nights sleep the night that the Nogitsune was destroyed, but that was the last time he slept well. After waking the morning after he found that no one could find Eva. Scott knew she was injured at some point but when they went to look for her she was gone. Stiles texted, called and left voicemail after voicemail. But there was nothing. She wasn't supernatural, she was just like him - human.

Stiles kept pacing, even lacrosse practice couldn't keep his mind off of his missing girlfriend. No one would let him leave to try to find her so he was stuck pacing in his room while Derek scoured the earth. So he paced. Back and forth. Stiles hadn't even taken off his vans. Occasionally he would check his phone for an update, or the hopeful text from Eva but there was nothing. His mood was like acid today, so everyone including the Sheriff left him to his worrying.

As the boy strode back and forth his anger brimmed over. _Why is she ignoring me?_ _Please be okay._ His mind could only find bad situations. Always expect the worst. He began writing notes on his board, then he would pace. Warring with himself, his anxiety was brimming, and he was exhausted but he couldn't sit. _When was the last time I took my adderall?_ His mind couldn't focus on one thought process. He almost jumped out of his Khaki's when his phone buzzed. It was Scott telling him that Derek had so far come up empty on their only lead. Stiles snapped, throwing the phone across the room, slamming his fists into the board and yelling.

"Where the hell are you?!" The exertion of so much energy left him slightly winded. The boy threaded his long fingers together on the top of his head trying to take deep breathes. His voice a little quieter and almost painful, "Why aren't you talking to me."

"Stiles." The voice was quiet but scared. The sound hit him right in the stomach knocking the air from his lungs. _This is my imagination I am sure of it._ His amber eyes looked to the doorway where the sound came from. Before him stood a thin dark haired girl shivering from the rain soaked hoodie.  
"Eva?!" His feet were moving before he could tell them to. His now shaking hands pulled her small frame into him and he held on to her like she was going to vanish into thin air. His heart was threatening to beat right out of his chest. When she pulled away slightly Stiles crushed his lips to hers. It was an attempt to smother a panic attack and to do what he should have done weeks ago.  
"Stiles…"  
"Eva where have you been? Does anyone know you are here?" Instinctively he looked toward his phone. Knowing Derek might kill him if he didn't know she was safe in the Stilinski house.  
"I'm… I'm okay. No one knows. Please don't tell anyone yet."  
"Why?" He was confused. Then the anxiety crept up into his stomach again, then it flooded to his throat when she almost completely pulled away from him. His one saving grace was her fingers were twisted in his. Eva walked passed him and sat down on the bed, pulling Stiles with her. His eyes bore into her, his heart racing faster with each silent moment.

"I wanted to talk to you first, see you first before everyone else flocks over me."  
"Where have you been, why haven't you answered your phone?"  
"Stiles I've been in a hospital, and my phone was off."  
"For two weeks?" His voice raised a little louder than it should have. "I'm sorry." Realizing he said this for more than one reason.  
"Here let me show you." Eva stood lifting the hem of her shirt donning a pink scar on her right abdomen. Stiles' heart jumped into his throat. If he wasn't careful the anxiety was going to give him nausea.  
"I… I did that?" His voice shaking like his hands were.  
"No, I had been hurt yeah, but my appendix burst. I was in ICU for 2 weeks they wouldn't let me have my phone. Finally I got it and checked my messages. Every word coming from you tore through me." She stood before the boy his eyes still focused on the scar. Stiles took a deep breathe then tried to steady his hands as he pulled the hem of Eva's shirt back down resting his hands on her hips. He could feel the tears pricking at his eyes. All his anger and panic finally turning to relief. Stiles swiftly pulled her onto his lap curling her body into his embrace and burying his nose in her hair. "Don't you ever do that to me again." His voice strangled. Eva let out a little laugh.

They sat there in the moment, Stiles trying to absorb every scent, sound and touch while Eva relaxed into his arms. Both of their stomachs dropped when they heard the slam of a car door, and the separate roar of an engine. It was a engine that made Stiles almost jump from his seat.  
It was Derek.


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles felt panic rush into his stomach. Derek had taken his "dating" of Eva fairly well, considering he didn't break any of his bones. But there was no telling how he was going to handle this.

Eva had been missing for weeks, Derek had been running down leads left and right trying to find his sister. Of course Stiles' was barred to his house after the Nogitsune. Everyone wanted him to get better, but having Eva - the girl he loved - missing was not helping him get better. Stiles' had a few moments of relief after Eva had showed up rain soaked in his room. She hadn't told anyone that she was there, but somehow, someway they found out.

Stiles' hear the car door, then the familiar rumble of Derek's Camaro. It was only a matter of time before he was busting through the door. Against his instinct, Stiles lifted Eva from his lap and she sat down on the edge of his bed while he continued pacing back and forth. His mind spinning, how was he going to defuse this when Derek walked through the door. But it wasn't just Derek and that was what caught him off guard.

A flash of strawberry blonde pushed through his bedroom door frame, green eyes staring daggers into Stiles. Lydia. He wasn't prepared for what happened next. His feet were off the ground, his shoulder blades against something hard. The wall. Derek stood in front of him holding him by the shoulders up against the bedroom wall. "I should have known." The venom in Derek's voice was piercing. "W-what are you…. what?" Stiles was stammering. What did Derek think was going on here?

"We are all out searching for Eva, looking for her everywhere while you pretend to be angry, panicked and worried but here she is, sitting in your room." Derek's breath was melting in with Stiles' own. He was so close to his face, a small threat of his fangs ripping out his throat popped into Stiles' mind. Then Lydia chimed in, the voice Stiles once wished he heard in his own bedroom was betraying him. "Just how long have you known where she has been?" Her arms crossed.

Stiles' mind was frantic, what the hell was going on here? "What?" There was nothing better to say. "How long have you been lying to all of us about knowing where she has been?" Lying? What the hell was going on here. It kept swirling in his mind. He had to take his adderall, everything was distracting him from answering. It had apparently been too long since he had answered. Derek pulled him back and then slammed him against the wall again.

Pain tore through Stiles. His body still hadn't been back to 100% after the Nogitsune, and then the combined panic and worry kept him from wanting to eat anything. "DEREK!" Eva's voice pierced the air, music to Stiles' ears. "Derek, I have known all of 5 goddamn minutes alright." At that moment Stiles' heartbeat couldn't be any steadier. The wolf dropped the now dizzy boy on the floor, turning to Eva. Moments passed by as Eva explained everything to Derek. Lydia was listening lazily while sitting in the computer chair. When Eva's words came to a stop Lydia looked up at Stiles and shakes her head. There is obviously something she knows but isn't saying. It irks him more than anything.

"We are leaving, and we are not coming back." Derek's voice was quick and spiteful. This hits the human in the stomach like a baseball bat. His thoughts raced again - was his adderall even working? - He just got her back, how can they leave… how can Derek take her away from him. "No… please." His voice was quieter than he expected. When Derek's eyes pierced his he saw no give. He caught Lydia's glance who seemed to have pity written all over her face. He was trying to find something, anything that he could say to change Derek's mind, or even get him to think about it.

"Please, Derek." A tear slipped down Stiles' face. A disgusted look crossed Derek's face, but then it softened. "I'll give you 5 minutes to say goodbye." He turned to walk out. Lydia stayed planted to the rug. "Well I am not going if you think I am leaving you two to plan an escape." Her voice very matter of fact. "Lydia. Just give them 5 minutes. I can hear everything remember?" Derek's voice was kinder, which made it hurt even more.

Derek closed the door behind Lydia and himself as they walked out of the room. Stiles stood with his head hung down to his chest, trying to find the right words, but not wanting to look at Eva. She closed in on him, taking his hand from his pocket. Making him wonder when he had shoved them in there to begin with. "Hey." Her voice quiet, soft. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I just got you back. I don't know what is going through his stupid asswolf mind but -" Stiles' words were stopped with Eva's lips. It felt like time had frozen while they were in an embrace, lips locked. He held on to her small frame as if she would float away before his 5 minutes were up. When their lips parted, Stiles whispered "I love you."

The moment was rocked when Derek pounded on the door. Almost as if he had intentionally waited for one of them to confess it to ruin the moment. Stiles blew out a pained puff of air. Eva kissed him one last time before she opened the door. As her hand released his before disappearing she said one word that pounded through Stiles. "Always." Her smile faded as Derek ushered her out of the house followed by Lydia.

Stiles stood there almost frozen as he watched the girl that he loved, the girl that snuck into his room at night to steal his warmth, the girl that knocked the air out of him, the girl who kept the panic at bay, and the girl who trumped Lydia Martin was taken away in her brothers black Camaro.

The days drug by as if they were all blending into one. Sleep was limited, he woke in the middle of the night expecting her warm body to be laying next to his, but only to find that the other side of the bed was empty. Eventually he stopped talking to his friends. Stiles didn't answer Scott's texts or calls. School was horrid with Lydia looming over him at all times trying to pull more and more answers from him about the night Eva came back. He had already told them everything, so he resigned to slamming his locker and walking the other way every time.

Senior year came to an end. It wasn't anything Stiles had planned. They started the year and he thought it would be the best year of his life, but in reality it was the worst since his mother died. He felt like his life had been torn apart, all because he loved Eva. He walked through graduation in a numb blurr, refusing to attend anyone's parties, or even have one himself.

That was what broke Scott's silence. The night after graduation Scott stormed into Stiles' room to find him packing. Scott almost stumbled when he walked through the door. "What is going on? Why won't you talk to me?"

Stiles took a deep breath. "Because it will hurt even more." Scott's brow furrowed. "Why? His voice quiet."

"I'm leaving."


End file.
